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There are currently 33 member reviews
for The Midnight Taxi
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Elizabeth W. (Terrebonne, OR)
New York centric Murder solved
An amusing, entertaining plot. The action takes place in New York City; there is a lot of tongue-in-cheek, insider humor. Trivia is part of the entertainment. The twists and turns of the plot are believable. The protagonist and her lawyer are Sri Lanken and they bond over food and the emigrant experience. Light and entertaining.
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Beth V. (Bellbrook Ohio)
Midnight Taxi is a Midnight Snack of a Book
This book meets all the requirements of a good midnight snack and who doesn't love a good midnight snack? It's not too big, won't keep you awake all night, it's full of good ingredients (plot, character) and very satisfying. I loved the glimpses of life in NYC, little tastes of Sri Lanken culture, and the friendship between Siri, Alex and Amaya. And as a mom, I appreciated the delicacy with which the author dealt with Siri's relationship with her parents. I enjoyed this book and will be on the lookout for future installments.
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Stephanie G. (Tega Cay, SC)
A Whodunnit that feels fresh
From the very first page, this novel pulls you into the world of an intriguing Sri Lankan protagonist caught in the middle of a crime unlike any other. The author masterfully balances the tension of a classic whodunnit with the freshness of a unique setting, weaving together mystery, culture, and suspense in a way that feels both original and immersive.
It's rare to find a mystery that feels both familiar in its structure and refreshing in its execution, but this book achieves exactly that. For readers who love crime fiction with a twist of cultural depth, this is a standout.
Strongly recommend.
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Susan U. (Waukesha, WI)
Good romp
After finding a dead man in her taxi, Siri becomes the accused murderer. Fortunately she ends up with a great public defender, Amaya and they become friends as they work together to find the real murderer. Great twists, good suspense and once it gets going, it keeps you wanting more. We'll developed characters, an education on cultural differences and easy flow writing all make for a very good read.
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Jamie K. (Berkeley, CA)
A wild ride
The Midnight Taxi is a locked door mystery, but instead of a room, it's a taxi. How can someone get in a taxi alive, and a short time later arrive at their destination dead? This is the puzzle Siri, the Sri Lankan NY taxi driver and lover of true crime podcasts, has to solve before a grand jury charges her with murder as she is, of course, the most logical suspect. Luckily, she has some crime-solving help — Amaya, a fellow Sri Lankan public defender she met in her cab and Adam, a long-time friend who would do anything to keep her out of jail.
The Midnight Taxi is a twisty ride with lively characters,a strong mix of greed, friendships, and fraud, and a seemingly impossible murder to solve. This all before our podcast-loving taxi driver becomes the unwilling subject of her own true crime drama.
As an avid mystery reader, some story elements of this whodunit seemed obvious to me, but despite that, I enjoyed the book and its glimpse into Sri Lankan culture, family, and cooking. Not surprising, it's the first book in what is sure to become a popular series featuring our crime-solving Sri Lankan taxi driver.
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Rebecca H. (Bolton, CT)
Strong Debut Mystery
This debut mystery was a lot of fun to read. The characters have excellent depth, and the portrayal of the NYC criminal and legal system is eye-opening. The author's own experience as as a former public defender in New York and daughter of immigrants informs both the depiction of immigrant cultures in the city and of the struggles of the less privileged caught up in the system. I love Siri and Amaya and how their friendship develops throughout the novel as they gather clues as to who really murdered the victim killed in Siri's taxi, unbeknownst to her. Alex, Siri's childhood best friend supplies an interesting contrast to as a member of a wealthy, socially prominent family. The suspects all seem like possible culprits most of the way through the story, keeping the pace and tension strong as the climax approaches. If I have one quibble, it's that one of the final twists is pretty clearly telegraphed quite early on and is not much of a surprise, but this doesn't detract much from the story, and I will definitely read the sequel (there's a teaser at the end of the book). All in all, this is a satisfying 'locked room' whodunnit and a strong beginning for some great series characters.
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Helen B. (WINTHROP, ME)
A Book that should be tagged as Cozy!
The Midnight Taxi is a cute little mystery that I hope the publisher will tag as a cozy, otherwise the ratings may not be as good. Told in a simplistic, straight forward manner, the plot is full of some unbelievable moments with an ending that is even better than a fary tale. That said, once I decided to take it as a cozy, I was able to enjoy it for what it is. I did enjoy the characters, the Sri Lanka connection is very entertaining (although the food descriptions were a little over done.) I liked very much that Siri is a cab driver and close to her family and her life is not perfect. She deals with things in a realistic manner and you really can connect with her. While some things the character does is annoying.. too many allusions to pop culture and going off on small tangents about things like how heavy the steel in in a Rolax watch is, she's loveable. I found the book entertaining and well thought out, and would read another, if it becomes a cozy series.
